I’m 83 and disabled, so why don’t I get help with my energy bills? STEVE WEBB points out little-known pension credit increase

I worked from 17 to 74 paying full National Insurance until I was 60.

My friend worked part time and receives a pension credit with all her benefits.

She is better off than me with her free council tax, her BBC licence, her winter fuel payment and her warm home discount.

I have osteoporosis and osteoarthritis, and because I am just over the limit for benefits, I will not qualify for help with my heating this winter.

I will be in agony if it gets really, really cold and I think the system is seriously flawed and needs to be checked again.

How can it be fair that I left my kids with babysitters (which I paid for), and someone like my friend, who took care of her own kids and worked part-time, is sometimes much better off than me?

I had a free TV license and they even took it away from me after two years. I saved for a small private pension and paid taxes on it.

It seems to me that in this country you are better off if you don’t work, which does not send a good signal to our young people.

I am a very, very unhappy 83 year old disabled lady who is going to suffer a lot from the cold this year and probably next year too if I survive this winter.

SCROLL DOWN TO FIND OUT HOW TO ASK STEVE HIS PENSION QUESTION

Steve Webb responds: You have raised an important question about the fairness of a system that provides a number of additional benefits to those who claim pension credits, but withdraws many of them entirely from those who may only be a few kilos over this “borderline” limit. of the precipice.” .

This is a problem that has worsened when the first free TV licenses (for over 75s) and now winter fuel payments have been added to the list of benefits that only benefit those receiving pension credits.

One possible reform that would reduce this unfairness would be to withdraw this extra help gradually (rather than suddenly) as incomes rise.

But the Government has probably decided that this would be administratively complex and could suffer from non-utilization problems even worse than the current pension credit system.

However, I want to tell you and other readers about two ways in which those whose income is above the basic pension credit level can still qualify for this extra help.

For a single person, the main pension credit rate is currently £218.15 per week, and for a couple it is £332.95.

If your family income is below this level, you may be eligible for a supplement through pension credit.

However, what many people may not know is that disabled people and their carers can qualify for a pension credit if they have an income *higher* than those general figures.

The reason for this is that people receiving certain disability benefits or carers may be entitled to ‘premiums’ on top of the main pension credit rate, allowing them to qualify for benefits at higher income levels.

Key points are below, and visit UK Government Pension Credits Section.

For disabled people there is a ‘severe disability premium’ which raises the pension credit line up to £299.65 for a single person; You qualify if you get any of the following:

– Assistance subsidy

– The average or highest rate of the care component of the disabled living allowance (DLA)

– The daily living component of the Personal Independence Payment (PIP)

– Independence Payment of the Armed Forces

– The daily living component of the Adult Disability Payment (ADP) at the standard or enhanced rate

For carers, there is a ‘carer premium’ which brings the pension credit line up to £263.75 for a single person; You qualify if:

– Get carer’s allowance

– Get caregiver support payment

– You have applied for carer’s allowance but are not receiving it because you already receive another benefit that pays a higher amount.

An important point to note for disabled people is that when the DWP compares your income to these higher levels (£299.65 for a single disabled person), it ignores your disability benefit income.

Therefore, it is your income, excluding any disability benefits, that you should compare to these cutoff points.

It is also important to note that someone who was a carer before reaching retirement age, and who lost their carer’s allowance when they started receiving the state pension, may still be entitled to the carer’s premium on pension credit, provided they continue to meet the other conditions for carer’s allowance.

In your case, if you were not receiving any disability benefit before reaching retirement age, your main option would be to claim care allowance if you have care needs.

If you were successful in claiming this benefit, this would not only increase your weekly earnings but would also qualify you for the much higher level of pension credit set out above.

People can check if they might be eligible using the government tool. pension credit calculator.

And for those who are put off by answering too many questions on a paper form, it is possible to claim over the phone on 0800 99 1234 or online at: Pension credit: how to claim it.

I have no doubt that many thousands of the 880,000 people who the DWP say are missing out on pension credit are disabled people and carers who are simply not aware that they can get pension credit at a much higher level of income than other groups.

I hope some read this column and apply.